Have your say in survey of town’s disabled access

Adapt NI wants to hear from disabled people across Northern Ireland in the biggest study on accessibility ever carried out here. Ken Ewart, Adapt Chairman of Adapt NI and volunteers Paul Caughey and Barbara Fleming are among those urging local people to make their voices heard.

DISABLED people in Dungannon are being urged to take part in the most comprehensive study into accessibility ever carried out in Northern Ireland.

Adapt NI, the voluntary organisation committed to improving access for disabled people, is carrying out the province-wide survey, on behalf of the Equality Commission.

Caroline Shiels, Adapt’s Development Manager, appealed to people with any disability to seize the opportunity to make their voices heard about local services.

Ms Shiels confirmed it was the broadest and most wide-ranging research into accessibility ever carried out in Northern Ireland.

She added: “Our researchers want to hear the views of disabled people in the cities, towns and villages and rural communities of Northern Ireland to find out exactly what it is like for them using everyday services that most people take for granted.”

Adapt’s team of researchers are interested in the views of all disabled people and want to know if there are differences in accessibility depending where disabled people live in Northern Ireland.

They are keen to gather the views of people with sight, hearing or mobility impairments, learning disability, mental health support needs, hidden impairments such as epilepsy, autism, diabetes, arthritis, or long term illnesses or conditions like cancer, HIV or chronic heart disease.

Using a ‘shopping basket’ of 20 public services, the research will ask how easy or difficult they are to use.